After offering the CoolSculpting procedure to patients for the past year, I finally decided to try it for myself in order to better understand the experience. I was very excited to try the procedure, and even more excited to be able to better communicate the experience of CoolSculpting with my patients. While I knew what to expect from watching and assisting patients do the procedure over and over again, I found myself a little anxious sitting in the chair waiting for the procedure to begin. I was most nervous about what it would feel like. Would I be in pain? The experience of being the patient, not the practitioner, made me feel slightly uneasy.
I will briefly describe my experience below. I did the medium size CoolSculpting applicator to my lower abdomen. While I am not overweight, I do have a tiny fat pad to my lower abdomen regardless of how much I work out. The large size applicator was definitely too big to fit my petite frame. I felt a cold, intense pressure to my lower abdomen as the applicator was applied. At first, it took my breath away a little and made me feel like I was unable to take deep breaths. I quickly adjusted to the sensation, and my breathing adapted to the pressure on my lower abdomen. The cold sensation turned to a warm, burning sensation and about 5 minutes into the procedure I felt almost nothing. The area seemed to turn numb, and I felt mild to moderate pressure for the remainder of the procedure. I have to say that I was relatively comfortable throughout the procedure.
After the procedure, the applicator was removed and I felt sore to my lower abdomen, like I had done a heavy work out. It has been about four days since my treatment, and the soreness to my lower abdomen is slowly fading. I had small pinpoint bruising to my lower abdomen following the procedure, which is also starting to fade. The soreness has not interfered with daily activities or my ability to exercise. A great advantage of the CoolSculpting procedure is that there is absolutely no downtime, and I was able to return to my normal routine immediately after my treatment. My lower abdomen feels slightly numb to touch, which I was expecting, and this will likely last about 3-6 weeks.
I am extremely glad that I decided to do the CoolSculpting procedure, and I hope that this helps patients to understand what the experience is like. CoolSculpting is a safe, clinically proven procedure that is FDA-cleared for cryolipolysis, the destruction of fat permanently. There are no needles, no special diets, no supplements, and no surgery associated with treatment. Now, I will be anxiously awaiting my results over the next 4-8 weeks.
